PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. – In September 2013, Bishop Albert Thévenot established a program for the permanent diaconate in the Prince Albert Diocese. On Jan. 25, eight married couples and two single men coming from across the diocese met at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre to begin the initial six-month discernment process.

Ted Larson evangelizes through his artwork. The Seattle-based digital artist says the bulk of his artwork is inspired by the Bible, which he has read from beginning to end many times. "My art is a way to use my talent to glorify God and participate in the work of the Holy Spirit on earth, bringing the Gospel to people's lives," he says.

Nine months after last summer's floods, 1,000 members of the Siksika Nation east of Calgary are still displaced, 25 communities are destroyed and many people are struggling to find hope amidst the ruin. "We still need prayers," said Siksika Nation Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman. Along with prayers, the aboriginal band has received a $100,000 donation from the Calgary Diocese to help it rebuild.

MUENSTER, SASK. – One benefit of liberal arts colleges is they encourage students to critically analyze information and sort through ethical questions, says a Saskatoon sociologist. Catholic colleges such as St. Peter's in Muenster and St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon go further than other colleges in developing character by encouraging the moral development of students, Darrell McLaughlin said at a campus ministry luncheon.

Catholic families need to develop a road map, a vision and a strategy to rebuild society, said a keynote speaker at the Canadian Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) seminar March 20-21 in Quebec City. This vision includes appropriating the Church's vision of the human person, and rebuilding "a new civilization of love as Pope John Paul II described it," said Antoine Renard.

Sharlyn Barahona always liked working with her hands but never thought of grasping a hammer, wrench or screwdriver professionally, until now. "In elementary school I was aiming towards being a cook or a baker," said the Grade 11 student. "I didn't really hear about women in non-traditional trades so I cannot say that that is something that I wanted to do in elementary school.

When people think of the human mind, they think of intellect, reasoning and the ability to figure things out. A person's mind also swarms with emotions and feelings. "But there is another part of the human mind that gets very little attention, especially the last couple hundred years, and that is the imagination," said Dr. Gene Edward Veith.

The March 19 episcopal ordination of Ottawa Auxiliary Bishop Christian Riesbeck marks a coming of age of the Companions of the Cross, says the order's moderator. "This is a first for us, to have a bishop named from among our number," said the Companions' moderator Father Scott McCaig. "We're getting a little older; we've come of age, so to speak."

There's about one million Canadians who know suicide is wrong, assisted suicide turns doctors into murderers, the state has an obligation to protect life until natural death and that not everything in medicine depends on the freely chosen wishes of the patient. These people are not Catholic. They're Muslim.

OTTAWA - Ottawa priest Father Joe LeClair received a one-year jail sentence Mar. 19 for stealing $134,000 from parishioners to feed a pathological gambling addiction. The priest is also required to make restitution of the $134,000 to the Ottawa Archdiocese. LeClair, who pleaded guilty to fraud, theft and breach of trust, will also serve an additional year of probation once his prison sentence is completed.